The Strength of Mary

Last month I had a brief conversation about my confirmation saint with a friend explaining why I picked the one I did.  Since then, I've thought a great deal about the saint I rejected, the Blessed Virgin Mary, instead of the one I picked.  Mainly I've thought about how I rejected the choice of Mary for all the wrong reasons and how my rejection showed just how little I understood about Mary and the amazingly strong woman she was and the strong example of faith that she still is today.

When I was confirmed in 8th grade, I picked Catherine of Siena for my confirmation saint after many weeks of searching for just the right saint.  I picked her because she was smart and she advised Church leaders.  When I found her, she was the first female saint who embodied everything  I thought a strong female should be at that time in my life.  Even after I picked Catherine, the overwhelming choice everyone still kept suggesting to me again and again was the Blessed Virgin Mary.  I wasn't interested in having Mary has my confirmation saint.  At that time I saw Mary as an average  mother and a wife.  Yes, I knew she was Jesus's mother and that was important, but overall, I saw her as nothing special and certainly not a strong female role model- or any type of role model for that matter.  To be honest, I thought Mary was rather boring.  Over 20 years later, I now know how wrong I was in my 13 year-old assessment of Mary.

Mary is one of the strongest examples of faith that we have for one simple reason- she said "yes".  When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and shared God's plan for her with Mary, she didn't hesitate, she didn't hem and haw or try to bargain with God or the angel.  She simply said "yes" and gave her life to something far greater than herself- God's plan.  Now that I understand so much more the strength of Mary I am absolutely in awe over her answer and her immediate ability to give it.  That is an example of strength that I will probably never be able to achieve in my life.  And one that I greatly underestimated and misunderstood in my youth.

If I had it all to do over again, I'd probably still pick Cathrine of Siena.  We seem to fit so well together for many reasons.  What I would change is that I'd also pick Mary too.  Together they are the yin and the yang of a strong woman of faith for me.  Strong in mind and strong in heart.  Annette Catherine Maria Hunt.  I like the sound of that and all that it implies.

So I Run Like a Girl

As someone who's avoided any kind of physical activity for most of their natural life, completing a 1/2 marathon this weekend was a big deal.  Not just for the physical undertaking involved, but for the unexpected mental accomplishments that came with it too.

When I was little I was told I was too small and too uncoordinated to play sports.  And I believed it.  So began a lifelong avoidance of any physical activity.  I was so good at it that I managed to scheme my way through high school without ever taking a PE class.  I would have made it through college in such a manner too, if possible, but this time I wasn't as crafty in manipulating the system.  So I took a semester of tennis and one of folk dancing to meet my PE credits for graduation.  Don't laugh- I can still dance a mean polka today!

So when I was restless and looking for something to change in my life this year I decided to really break out of my normal, safe place and try running with the goal being to run the White Rock Half-marathon at the end of the year.  I almost gave up before I even started when my first step down this path hit a surprise that threw me off balance.  Instead I chose to keep going, focus on my goal and let the surprise work itself out, which it did.  This wasn't the first obstacle I hit on the way to my goal this year.  I've fought weak ankles, shin splints, and a summer of 100 degree heat that caused me to take a break for a couple of months.  But when fall, and cooler weather, came; I rallied and got back on track to meet my goal.  And on Sunday, 12/4 I completed my goal.  And I must admit, I never expected it to feel this good.

When I ran my first 5k, I gave up the ghost of considering myself unathletic.  And in running the 1/2 yesterday, to be blunt, I kicked the ghost's ass and stomped on its grave.  NEVER again will I believe that I'm not athletic or cut out for sports.  I KNOW otherwise.  Around mile 10 I started get choked up as I realized my goal was going to be a reality and thought about what I had accomplished.  I left several things from the last year on the road yesterday and really understand for the first time why runners do what they do.

Yes, people say we're nuts to run in the rain, in 40 degree weather and love it, but you have to live the experience to understand it.  We run for what we leave behind or face on the road.  We conquer our fears, misconceptions, anxieties and much more.  We accomplish our goals and dreams and take that energy into our daily lives in so many ways.  This is why we run.

In closing, thank you to everyone who supported and encouraged me in the last year- my friends, my coaches and my running classmates.  Thank you to the staff at RunOn!  who taught me so much about running- from picking the right gear to the right form to a good race strategy.  I couldn't have made it yesterday without each and everyone one of you.  Thank you.

What I Learned About Faith from My Dog

Young Desmond has been with me for four years at the end of this month, and during that  time he has taught me several lessons in life and faith.  I thought, in arrogance, when I brought him home I was giving him a better life.  Who knew that he would be a teacher to me on my faith and life journeys?

To understand Desmond as an example of faith, you have to know a little bit about his origins.  Desmond lived the first five or so years of his life in a puppy mill.  For those of you not familiar with such places, they're basically run-down farms for breeding dogs en mass for profit.  Dogs in these places live in terrible conditions, devoid of any human or animal social contact. You can understand why dogs from such facilities may have a hard time adapting to life in a home as someone's pet.  They've been abused, mistreated, deprived of love and affection, have little or no socialization skills and in Desmond's case, are abandoned and let for dead.  Getting them to trust in new and unfamiliar surroundings can be very difficult.

Not with Desmond though.  From the day I brought him home he trusted me. I often joke that when I brought him home he looked around, looked at me and thought "You got this?  Good.  Then I'm gonna go stare out the window or take nap."  To be honest, I'm constantly in awe of the trust Desmond places in me for all of his life needs and humbled by how much I lack the same ability to trust God and others  in a similar and open manner with my life.

Desmond's a pretty patient dog too.  I follow dog pack rules with Desmond, so he gets his food each night after I've eaten. Desmond keeps himself amused or sits quietly nearby and waits each night until I finish my dinner.  Now I'll admit that he knows the cues for when I'm close to finishing my meal and he'll get a little impatient then.  But overall, he sits and waits quietly.  Imagine doing that with God when we're waiting on something in our lives.  Heaven knows I'm not good at sitting and waiting.  Instead I'm like Bart and Lisa in the car on "The Simpsons".  "Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?", I'm constantly asking God this when I want something and am  trying to push my timetable on his plan for me.

Desmond's also patient when we cross the streets in our neighborhood.  When we cross a street, if I see a car coming, I'll stop, say "wait", and put my hand out to signal him we're going to stop walking.  When the car passes, I tell him "come on" and make a moving forward gesture with my hand so he knows we're walking again.  While he may not understand why we've stopped, he knows that we can't move right then and just need to wait.  How hard is it for us to wait when God asks us to hold for a little bit?  And do we ever consider that he's asked us to wait so we avoid some danger or bad situation or person?  Maybe the road just isn't clear for us yet. In those times, do we wait patiently like Desmond or do we squirm and get impatient instead?

And, as any dog owner will tell you, dogs remind you to appreciate the little joys in life.  Like the joy of your person coming home at the end of the day, the joy of dinner being served, the joy of eating your favorite treat or playing with your favorite toy.  It's not the big things in life that always matter.  The little mundane, innocuous daily tasks can be greeted with joy and bring joy into your life too.  You just have to see them through eye's like Desmond's.

Can You Sit with Me?

Watch live video from marytown on www.justin.tv

This past weekend I went to Chicago to visit friends and spend some time in a city that I consider to be my second home.  One of the highlights of my trip was visiting Marytown, the National Shrine of Maximillian Kolbe.

The chapel at Marytown has perpetual adoration and it is so popular that they even have a webcam setup for those who can't make it to the chapel but still want to spend a few minutes with the Blessed Sacrament. I was so moved by my short visit there and the enormous feeling of peace that I had upon entering the chapel, that I want to share a little bit of Marytown with each of you.

I hope you'll bookmark this page and the next time you need peace or a few quiet minutes in your day you'll click on this link and spend a few minutes with the Blessed Sacrament via the Marytown webcam.

If you'd like to learn more about Marytown and the National Shrine to Maximillian Kolbe there, please visit them online at the   Marytown web site